No electricity? No problem! Empty plastic bottles are helping to cool homes in impoverished areas

Can one man’s trash be another man’s treasure? To these people, it sure can.

Having grown up in the southwestern deserts of the United States, where the temperature at times can surpass 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), I have learned to greatly appreciate the existence of air conditioning. Being as eco-minded as I am, I will try to save energy and get by without A/C for as long as possible, but once the mercury nears 30 degrees (86 degrees Fahrenheit), I need to switch it on.

For a large percentage of people in the world, however, that isn’t a luxury they can enjoy. For roughly half of the rural population in Bangladesh, for example, those families don’t even have access to electricity at all. So when the scorching summers reach up to 45 degrees, all they can do is tough it out.

But what if there was a way to bring some cooling relief to those people for free, without the use of any electricity? Well there is a way, and all that it requires is a solid board roughly the size of a window, and a number of empty plastic bottles. (You can add this project to the list of ways to repurpose old water bottles!)

Cut the bottoms off the bottle and as large a hole as possible in the lid, then cut enough holes in the solid board for your water bottles, just large enough to stick the head of the bottle through. Once the bottles are secured in place you’re ready to secure it to a window – bottoms pointed outside and lidded opening facing in – and you’re ready to enjoy a nice, cooling breeze.

You may be thinking, “Really? That’s it?” and who can blame you? It really does seem too simple to be true. But before you go disregarding the whole thing as too good to be true, try this simple experiment. First, hold your hand in front of your mouth, open your mouth, and breathe on your hand (much like you’re doing a breath check). Notice how the air feels warm. Now, simply tighten your lips into a small “o” shape and blow again. Did you feel the difference? The air blown the second time around was compressed and cooled as it passed through the smaller opening of your pursed lips.

The zero electricity air cooler uses the same concept to cool the air blowing through the window, as opposed to just allowing hot air to flow in. This magical, economical project can lower the temperature up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit), making the summer months just that much more tolerable for those living without electricity. The following video shows the eco-cooler in action.

Not only is the zero electricity air cooler helping to make lives more comfortable, it is helping to give purpose to trash that would otherwise end up on the street or in a landfill. It just goes to show how a simple idea can bring about positive changes for so many.